... whoever publishes George R.R. Martin's books have a very "plain" style -- at least, for my edition of the books. The only "exciting" part about it would be wondering what the next monochromatic color the cover would be. There's hardly any artwork on the book.

Especially compared to the artwork that's on all of the FFG games based on the book!

I can almost wager that FFG draws more people to George R.R. Martin's books because of their superb artwork. The books by themselves don't really stand out at the local bookstore.

Yes I agree before playing the boardgame and seeing FFG artwork. I heard the books were good but the artwork on the novel seem really dated. Don't judge a book by it's cover but it's sure easier to buy when it looks nice.